Extend Your Stay

Okavango Delta Extension: 3 nights / 4 days

Botswana safaris are renowned for their abundant wildlife and isolated adventure camps. Travelers can expect the full spectrum of safari outings from tracking game on foot, mokoro or vehicle. One of the largest inland deltas in the world, the Okavango Delta is fed annually by floodwaters from the far away central highlands of Angola. The slowly seeping water gives life to plants and quiet streams where hippos wallow and crocodiles lie in wait for zebra and antelope to drink along the banks. These plains game keep a watchful eye for hunting lions, hyena, and leopard in this enormous ecosystem spread over 6800 square miles.

Starting in Victoria Falls, fly over the varied land and water landscapes of the Okavango Delta based from private concessions where the number of other travelers is few. Our short Botswana extension itinerary get’s you to the heart of the delta, utilizing small safari camps hosting no more than 14 guests in 7 rooms and expert naturalist guides exceptionally familiar with the rhythms and movements of this unique wilderness environment.

2015 Pricing: $2375 - 2730 per person based on double occupancy depending on season at Khwai Tented Camp and $3785 - $5185 per person based on double occupancy depending on season at Little Vumbura Camp.

Days 1-3: Fly into the Okavango Delta

Depart Victoria Falls by vehicle this morning, crossing the border into Botswana and board a light aircraft flight in Kasane. Fly over the stretching fingers of the Okavango flood as you make your way to an intimate camps setting within the Delta. Enjoy 2 full days of game drives and boating activities within private game concessions in the Okavango Delta. Overnight for three nights at Khwai Tented Camp (Option A) or Little Vumbura (Option B).

OPTION A: KHWAI CONCESSION
Khwai is a private community run concession on the eastern border of the Moremi Game Reserve along the river Khwai. The Khwai River forms a boundary between the reserve and the community area. The river is the sole source of water for miles around attracting wildlife from afar. As this is community run all proceeds from tourism go directly to help local people and local projects through the Khwai Community Trust. This being a community concession, guests are privy to night drives which are usually not permitted in the National Parks or Game Reserve. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. There is the added opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot and enjoy an up close personal encounter with the varied flora and fauna in the area. The vegetation here is quite different from the Western section of Moremi where great stands of leadwood and mopane woodlands occur in close proximity to open grasslands and the Khwai River. The camp has the romance of a mobile camp, where there are no permanent structures and everything can be removed to leave the wilderness exactly as we found it, having little or no impact on the environment. You will enjoy spacious and comfortable tented accommodation, with beds and private en-suite bathrooms in this remote wilderness area. This camp is furnished with bucket showers under the stars. Your toilet is also ensuite and is a flush toilet for your convenience. Wildlife encountered include lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, as well as a multitude of other animals, including elephant, buffalo, zebra, hippo and giraffe to name a few. Overnight for three nights at Khwai Tented Camp.

OPTION B: VUMBURA CONCESSION
Little Vumbura Camp is located in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta on the private and highly productive Vumbura Concession. Here the vegetation ranges from open floodplains to dense mopane bushveld - offering spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round.The permanent swamp and island habitat abounds with beautiful treed islands of every size, surrounded by permanent waterways created both by the summer rains and the annual winter floodwaters of the Okavango Delta. Game drives in this region are incredibly productive, arriving guests often sighting their first game on the trip from airstrip to camp. The annually flooded grasslands of the Okavango Delta surrounding Little Vumbura Camp are locally referred to as 'melapo' and offer seasonal viewing of elephant, giraffe, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and cape buffalo. Encounters with hippo and crocodile are common in the waterways. Predators include the wild dog, several resident prides of lion, leopard, cheetah and the african wildcat.The birding around Little Vumbura Camp is as varied as it is exceptional all year round. In the summer many migrant species are present. Pel's Fishing Owl is regularly seen, with other specials including Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret, Chirping Cisticola, Little Bee-eater, Fan-tailed Widowbird and possibly Rosy-throated Longclaw. Game drives in open Land Rovers allow you to get close to animals in the savannah areas. Walks (on request) around the islands are an opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective. Game viewing is consistently good all year round at Little Vumbura Camp with lion, leopard, elephant, sable and buffalo along with extensive plains game providing an excellent all-round wildlife experience in this remote corner of the Okavango Delta. Overnight for three nights in the six roomed Little Vumbura Camp.

Day 4: Fly to Maun, Botswana

Depart the Okavango Delta today for your flight to Maun, arriving in time to connect to your onward international flight.

Victoria Falls Extension: 2 nights / 3 days

Discover Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Called Mosi-oa-Tunya in the indigenous language, "The Smoke That Thunders" marks the place when the mighty Zambezi River crashes over an cliff of rock both higher and wider than Niagara Falls. On this two night exploration in Zambia, you embark on a tour of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, sunset river cruises. Other activities on offer in the area at an additional charge include helicopter flights, micro-light flights, canoeing, fishing, walking safaris to see Rhino in Mosi-oa-Tunia National park and white water rafting on the Zambezi River.There are daily flights to Livingstone, Zambia from Johannesburg, the air hub for travel in Southern Africa.

2015 Pricing: From $750 per person based on double occupancy at the Chundukwa River Lodge (standard) or $1350-1575 per person based on double occupancy at Tongabezi (deluxe) depending on season. Includes all meals, accommodation, airport transfers and 1/2 day tour of Victoria Falls and sunset boat cruise.

Day 1: Upper Zambezi River, Zambia

Your African adventure begins as you are met and warmly greeted at the Livingstone airport in Zambia. Transfer to Chundukwa River Lodge, where rooms look out to the Zambezi River. This afternoon take a boat cruise on the upper Zambezi where you can watch the sunset with a drink in hand. Overnight at Chundukwa River Lodge (standard) or Tongabezi Lodge (deluxe) [Dinner included]

Day 2: Victoria Falls

Enjoy a guided tour of Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, which straddles the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Watch as the mighty Zambezi River, forced through a fissure, cascades down 300 hundred vertical feet. The spray from the falls can be powerful from May – July so be prepared for getting wet. The afternoon is at your leisure to relax or partake in any additional active adventure tours in the area such as a helicopter or microlight flight over the falls, white water rafting trip featuring Class V rapids, canoeing above the Falls, parasailing or horseback riding (not included, at additional cost, and at your own risk). Overnight at Chundukwa River Lodge (standard) or Tongabezi Lodge (deluxe). [Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included]

Please note: In addition to the above Tongabezi includes the following options: canoeing on the Zambezi, an Island lunch, a sanpan floating candlelit dinner, sunrise boating, guided bush walks, a museum tour, fishing, game drives to see the rhinos in Mosi oa Tunya National Park, and a Maramba Market visit. Of course not all of these activities can be done in one day, so consider extending a day at Tongabezi if you’d like to experience more of the area.

Day 3: Departure

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and perhaps see some swimming elephants from the deck before your transfer by road to Livingstone airport for your departure. [Breakfast included]

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Extension: 3 nights / 4 days

Walk in the footsteps of legendary biologist Dian Fossey in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Escorted by our team of expert guides and native trackers, you bushwhack through the thick vegetation and up steep slopes in search of a family of wild mountain gorillas. Choose either two full days of gorilla tracking or one day with the gorillas and another day trekking to see Golden Monkeys.

2015 Pricing: From $1350-$3800 per person, depending on group size and accommodation level. Additional permit costs of $750 per person per day for gorilla trekking and $100 per person per day golden monkey trekking. Must be 15 years or older to participate in trekking to see the Mountain Gorillas.

Day 1: Kigali / Virunga Mountains

Touch down at the Kigali Airport where our local representative greets you. Transfer to overnight at the Hotel des Mille Collines (Classic) or Kigali Serena (Luxury). [D]

Day 2: Kigali and the Virunga Mountains

This morning we
have the opportunity to see local life in Kigali. With your local guide, experience
the real life of Rwandans as you’re introduced into this bustling
multi-cultural commercial suburb with a typical African flair. Visit a local
hair salon, a West Africa Tailor, the Muslim quarter, and the local market
where you’ll procure supplies to cook and eat a traditional Rwandan meal in a
local home.

After your tasty self made lunch depart Kigali for a scenic
drive approximately two hours on a paved road to town of Kinigi at the base of
the Virunga Mountains. Stunning vistas
greet you as the road winds its way over hills and through valleys. Rwanda is known
as ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’ for a reason!
Spend the next few nights at the Gorilla
Mountain View Lodge (classic) or Sabyinyo
Silverback Lodge(luxury), just
15 minutes away from the entrance to the park. [BLD]

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

The Virunga Mountains in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo are home to the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Some of the gorilla families have been habituated to human presence, and it is possible to visit them in their natural habitat within the forest.

Take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with local guides and trackers who present an orientation about gorilla tracking ethics. It is very important that under no circumstances are the gorillas to be touched by humans or visited by anyone with a cold or illness. This is to protect the animals from communicable diseases to which they are very susceptible. Spend two days in the Volcanoes National Park on full day treks to view two different families of mountain gorillas. The search, with experienced trackers leading the way, can take up to eight hours although the gorillas are usually found after two to four hours. Some hiking areas lie at altitudes above 7,500 feet over rough and muddy terrain. The hike can be physically demanding, but the forest and surrounding scenery are beautiful.

Once the gorillas are spotted the encounter is a most profound natural history experience. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras set for low light conditions are recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice, hence water proof clothing is necessary, also zip lock bags for cameras and memory cards. Return to the lodge to share stories and enjoy dinner. Overnight at

Day 4: Gorilla or Golden Monkey Trekking / Return to Kigali and departure

Today you will once again visit the Virunga Mountains either in search of Mountain Gorillas or in search of Golden Monkeys*. There is a fully habituated group of the beautiful primates in the park and this is one of the only places in Africa where this activity is offered. This afternoon return by land approximately 2 hours to the Kigali International Airport for departure. [BL]

Note: Permits for Gorillas or Golden Monkeys will need to be secured prior to arrival. Please discuss these options with the program director.

Centrally located, with views out onto the rolling hills of Kigali this historical hotel is managed by the Kempinski hotel group and offers a clean and comfortable jumping off point for adventures in Rwanda.

Featured on our classic Rwanda extension, the Gorilla Mountain View Lodge has 30 cottages with spectacular views of Volcanoes National Park.

The luxury accommodation on our Rwanda Extension, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge is just minutes from Volcanoes National Park and boasts seven large cottages with huge bathtubs for soaking away a day of trekking in the bush.

"We had such a fantastic time in Cape Town. We were sad saying goodbye to Doug at the airport, we had become friends. Our time in Sabi Sands was amazing as well. Everything from the accommodations to our guides, the food and the organized schedule was beautiful. The animal sightings were astonishing: all varieties of kudu, elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, warthogs, giraffes, and on and on. We even tracked wild dogs on a hunt (and successful kill). I certainly left Africa with much of it set deep in my heart. Can't wait to come back. It was the kind of trip that lets me come home and not just feel, but actually KNOW that I was on vacation."
- Vicki Klopsch, CA